Dating Game

I hope you've been enjoying the story so far, I will be speeding things along in the next chapter but as for this one it's just a short one that I wanted sorting out I hope it fills in a few holes I've had in the story, 'not literally' lol. But anyway onto the story I hope you enjoy, and as always I don't own COD but I do own Anchor.

The coffee with my family was incredibly awkward. However after about an hour and a half it was finally over, I was drained but looking forward to actually talking to Ashley. The rain had started to hammer down whilst I waved my mum and sister off outside the coffee shop, Ashley was stood in the doorway. I came into the shop with a soaked head and shoulders which sucked, I could feel myself steaming from the heat of the coffee shop.

"You wanna go somewhere else or stay here?" I asked Ashley as I rubbed my hair causing water to shoot everywhere.

"I'm not going out there," She joked as she shielded her face from the water, "I don't have a hood."

"Fair enough," I laughed as I pulled up a chair for Ashley at a new table with just two seats, "Let's sit shall we?" I asked her as I offered her the seat.

"Yes," she replied coyly as she sat in the seat and pulled herself in.

I sat opposite her and immediately became overcome with an almost boyish shyness, I really didn't know what to say, every time I opened my mouth I couldn't speak, my nerves had me choked. I could feel my stump throbbing from the pain of the pressure I had put on it.

"How's the leg?" She asked me as I reached down and rubbed inside my prosthetic.

"My leg's fine, the stump is a wee bit tender," I smiled at her as I stood up, "What you having?"

"If it hurts we should head back," She said as she scooped her bag up.

"No, let's stay;" I blushed slightly, "I've been looking forward to this."

She smiled and blushed, "Okay." She placed her bag on the floor and followed me up to the counter to order.

"What ya' having?" I asked her as I reached into my back pocket for my wallet.

"Erm….." She paused, "I'll have a double shot Americano," She smiled as she looked over the cheese cakes and cookies behind the counter.

"You want one?" I asked.

"Yeah I do, I'm starving," She grinned as she pointed at the large triple chocolate cookie.

"That's fine, I'm gonna get me a big ol' slice of that New York cheese cake," I smiled back at her as the person in front of us finished being served. I ordered our drinks and food, I got a coke, I hate hot drinks!

We both sat back down I carried the drinks over with the food on a tray, I was starting to feel more relaxed around Ashley, it was strange she'd seen me more vulnerable than anyone had ever seen me yet I still felt like she was someone who didn't know me like I had to tread carefully and not know what to do.

"So," Ashley began but even before she said it I knew what she was going to say, "Are you going to take the offer from the Marines?" She lost eye contact with me looking down into the mug which held her coffee.

"I probably will," I could see her face drop at me saying it, "all I've ever been is a soldier or a marine and so I don't think I could do much else, plus I don't think I'll be getting a job with only one leg." I sniggered trying to lift the mood but I knew I had blown it already.

"You could try something new," She tried to sway me.

"I don't want to, I liked being a marine and a soldier, I don't want anything else that's what I want again," I told her looking her directly in the eye.

"Fair enough," she said as she dipped her head and started to gulp down her coffee. I just looked down at my bottle and thought I've really fucked it now. We spent the remainder of the time in silence exchanging the odd stare or short gaze but not a lot more.

When we were finished we walked back to the hospital not talking and she was walking as fast as she possibly could it only took about five minutes to walk back and by the time we arrived my stump was fucked up. I sat on my bed Ashley had disappeared into the belly of the hospital. I pulled my stump off but as I did the Doc came into the room, I was dripping blood all over his floor and had almost fully lined the interior with a nice red paint.

"You should get that dressed," He said to me.

"Nah, it'll be alright," I replied as he closed the curtains on my ward.

"That wasn't a suggestion that was an order sergeant," He told me more sternly this time, "I'll get you some more trousers and some dressings for that leg," he turned to walk out of the door but stopped, "And I'll get you a mop for my damn floor!"

"Yes Sir!" I sarcastically said as the Doc left the room.

After about ten minutes the Doc acme back with the trousers and a set of dressings for my leg. Oh and a mop.

"Get your trousers off," He ordered as he lazily wandered over to me.

"That's a bit forward Doc," I laughed as I undid my belt and pulled by blooded trousers off. The Doc chuckled as he started to wrap up my leg again, his hands were cold but he had them wrapped up in blue nitrile gloves like he was handling a dangerous substance or something.

"You know she likes you right?" He randomly said to me whilst wrapping my leg he had almost finished but he still had to secure the bandage.

"Who does?"

"Don't act stupid with me sergeant, you know who I mean," he told me as he secured my bandage with MPT.

"Oh you mean Ashley?" I inferred, the Doc nodded in response, "Well I think I fucked that one," I told him as I looked out the window.

"I wouldn't be so hard on yourself, what happened?" I slid on the new pair of trousers and told the Doc what had happened, "She's new to the military man, she's treated a lot of them but never been involved with one, she doesn't understand how you can enjoy being under fire and under that much stress all the time."

"yeah I guess but it's my life," I told him as I looked at my blood stained prosthetic. I picked up the mop and started to clean it.

"Yeah I know mate, but she'll come round you just have to explain it to her, as I said it's new to her," just as he finished guess who walked into the room. He just nodded at me and walked out of the room.

"Hey," I paused as she walked to the far side of the room and checked the cupboard, she turned when I spoke, "I'm sorry about earlier."

"You don't have to apologise," She said with a stern face.

"I kinda do, you just asked me a question earlier and I got way to defensive," I told her with my head hung low.

"It's still fine," She told me with a smile this time and not the blunt expression she had given me previously. I placed my leg on and walked over to her. It took a few awkward seconds of standing next to her for me to pluck up the courage. I embraced her and she did the same to me. I could feel her burying her head in my chest. "I'm sorry," She sobbed slightly, "I just don't want to lose you, you lost a leg before what next?"

"Look," I lifted her chin up and looked her straight in the eyes, "The role I'll be doing is a purely training role, non-combatant, I won't be fighting directly." She nodded slightly, "I just don't want to let my injury define my life, I wanna live." She slightly tip toed and brought her head closer to mine, I lowered mine and gently kissed her on the lips holding her in close to me.

"I want to understand," She told me, "But it will take time."

I heard the door open behind us, causing us to release each other and take a step back. I looked at the door, it was Doc again only now he was holding an envelope and a piece of paper. "What's in the envelope? Doc," I asked as I walked over to the door.

"Probably this," He said as he held the paper up.

"What's on that then?" I asked.

"Your discharge papers."

"Okay is it immediate?" I inquired as I looked at the paper.

"Yes but luckily it's out of this ward and onto a regular one, with a month's worth of physio."

"Ah, looks like a smart way to spend a bit more time here," I smiled as I looked around the ward.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and have been enjoying the story. Please feel free to review and tell me what you thought and where the story should go from here but until the next time…PEACE!

Oh and wish me luck in the lab tomorrow, I'm playing with phosphorus and organometallics, BuLi, yay, Exprosions!